South Carolina Counties Pass Moratoriums as Data Center Projects Exceed $7 Billion

Nine counties in South Carolina have either sought or implemented temporary moratoriums on data center building. The state will be home to more than 20 centers for artificial intelligence and other technology operations. Secretary Harry Lightsey said that the Department of Commerce does not track these new buildings.

These pauses let counties think through their own rules. Citizens worry the structures might push up electricity costs, drain water supplies, or produce too much sound.

Will Williams leads the Western South Carolina Economic Development Partnership. He argues these buildings matter for current tech needs. "Data centers are a foundational infrastructure for today's digital economy," said Williams, per The State. "There is nothing you or I do that a data center is not involved with."

Meta is constructing a 715,000-square-foot building in Aiken County. It will consume 200 megawatts. The work will generate about 100 jobs and should start running in spring 2027.

Google is pouring $1.3 billion into its Berkeley County site. The tech giant is also putting up two new structures in Dorchester County business parks. These will run cloud operations and AI systems.

NorthMark Strategies is constructing a campus in Spartanburg County with natural gas generators and turbines that churn out 450 megawatts for the location. This $2.8 billion project continues through 2028.

Cielo Digital Infrastructure said it would spend $2.1 billion on a campus near Gaffney in Cherokee County. Four buildings, each 400,000 square feet, will make up the site. The company expects completion by late 2028.

South Carolina has no statewide laws governing these installations. The General Assembly spent two years working on this. Two Senate bills about placement restrictions failed to advance this year. A House proposal for a statewide pause never gained traction.